Cabinet construction



Sept. 2, 1941. G, F. FoRsTHoEFEL. 2,254,604

CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 26, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l mvENToR GREG@ F'. FoRsTHoEFEL 4 Sept. 2, 1941. G. F. FoRsTHoEl-'EL 2,254,504

CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 26, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 JN! l 27a.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR GREG@ F'. F' oRsTHoEFsL.

Qq gi. BY* l ATTOR Y ratentcd Sept. 2, 1941 CABINET CONSTRUCTI'ON Gregg F. Forsthoefcl, Adrian, Mich., asslg'nor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 26. 1938, Serial No. 186,993

4 Claims.

My invention Arelates to refrigerator cabinets and has for its object to provide an improved cabinet structure and method of manufacturing the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive refrigerator cabinet which has good heat insulating qualities and a pleasing appearance.

An important object of this invention is to provide an improved metallic refrigerator structure wherein the side and top walls are defined by a pair of sheet metal pieces which may be readily and inexpensively formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet for a mechanical refrigerating machine having spaced heat absorbing and heat dissipating elements, which cabinet aiords ready insertion and removal of said elements as a unit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an adjustment for the inner shell relative to the outer shell in an insulated cabinet of the character set forth, whereby assembly of the heat breaker or finishing strips may be readily effected.

It is a stillfurther object of the invention to provide a refrigerator cabinet having an insulated door of improved construction.

These and other objects are eiected by my invention, as will be apparent from the following description and claims, taken in connection withl the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a front view, partially in section, of a domestic 'refrigerator constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along 1 the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the cabinet breaker strip and door construction;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail employed inthe embodiment of my invention disclosed in the preceding views;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of some of the elements shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the outer shell structure employed in the cabinet; and,

Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing a modica.- tion of a detail in the construction of the outer shell.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive of the drawings wherein I have disclosed my invention applied to a domestic refrigerator yincluding an outer shell I0 and an inner shell II spaced from the outer sh'ell I Il by heat insulation I2. The inner shell II denes a food storage space I3, cooled in any well known manner, such as, for example, by a conventional refrigerant evaporator I4. The inner shell or liner I I is open at its front and defines an access opening I5, closed by an insulated door structure I6 hinged at I 1 to the cabinet I0 and provided with a latching mechanism (not shown) for maintaining the door closed.

The outer shell I0 includes side wall members I9 and 2| having upper portions 22 and 23 bent inwardly, with their meeting edges joined at 24 to denne a top wall 25. The portions 22 and 23 of the top wall 25 preferably have the margins of their meeting edges depressed below the plane of the top wall to form a groove 26 extending from the front to the back of the cabinet. The purpose of the groove 26 will be referred to more in detail hereinafter.

I consider the formation of the outer shell structure an important feature of my invention. The side wall members I9 and 2I may be manufactured'from sheet ngetal and bent to provide the top wall portions 22 and 23 without the use of large and expensive dies. After bending, the meeting edges of the portions 22 and 23 are welded or otherwise suitably joined. As shown, the front and rear edges of the side wall members I9 and 2I are provided with flanges 21 and 21a for a purpose to ybe referred to hereinafter. The flanges 21 and 21a may be rolled on the members I9 and 2| prior to bending the same or may be separate elements as shown at 21h, in Fig. 9.-

After joining the side wall members I9 and 2|, a horizontal or bottom wall 28 is secured to intermediate portions thereof, preferably by welding, and has front and rear flanges 29 and 29a formed thereon. When in position the flanges 29 and 29a are aligned with the respective anges 21 and 21a of the side and top walls I9, 2| and 25.

A rear wall 3| is secured in any suitable manner as, by welding, to the flanged portions 21a and 29a of the side walls I9 and 2|, the top wall 25, and the horizontal wall 28. The side walls I9 and 2| and the rear wall 3| extend below the horizontal wall 29 for defining a machinery chamber 32 within which a refrigerating machine 33 may be disposed, the latter eiecting circulation of refrigerant through the evaporator I4 as described 2` 8,864,604 hereinafter Ihebottomportionsofthestd'e berliintbebaseilandpassedinhestexwallsilandllarepreferablytiedtogetherby changingrelationwiththecondenserandcomscrossmemberllandthelowerendoftherear pressorunit li. Theheatedairisdischarged walHLthelatterbeingprovidedwith'anopeningthroughtheopeningllinthec'abinetrearwau for theinsertionoftherweirigeratingmachinev 5 Il. A duct structure Il is preferablysecured inthechamberll. Y totherearwall8lforconductingtheheatedair The space between-.the aide walls il and Il fxom'theopeninglltoapoint adjacent thetop deiinesanopeningll atthefrontofthechamofthe cabinetwhereitisdischarged. Condensed ber 8! which opening 8l provides tothe refrigerantisdeliveredtothe evaporator I4 from rigerating machine Il for cleaning. A cover cates with the machinery chamber l! at the front on the outer shell structure Il are in alignment withthe flange il of theinnershell il andina vertical plane normal to the planes of the side and top walls ls and 2l;

manner and outersheus n and u remmen` by breaker strips I3 which are disposed peripherally of the access opening Il and secured to the flanges il of the inner shell I I and the flanges 21 and .2l of the outer shell structure Il. The breaker strips I3 denne a portion'of v the front of the cabinet Il and are disposed in the vertical plane of the front of the cabinet. The breaker strips are preferably formed of a resinous material that is heat insulating and non-hygroscopic, such as those known underl the trade names of Micarta and "Bakelite" Any y rei'rigerantipasses from the evaporator to the compressor unit Il the condensed refrigerant.

The refrigerant conduits Il and Il extend upwardly alongtherearwall 3i withintheduct Il, which protects them from mechanical injury.

ga and thence forwardly through the groove," in

suitable means may be employed for joining the V breaker strips Il to the ange members Il, Il

and, but I prefer to employ self-tapping screws shownatuinli'ig.5.

Inorder to position the'inner shell-II an nummern umblymtneoutersheu [0.19m

vide adjusting means shown in Fig. 8 andin-y which are accessible 'at the rear of pendingI upon which way the screws are turned.

Accordingly, the flanges Il oi' the inner shell Ii e the cabinet.` theinnershell il ismovedbackwardlybythe-`- screws or forwardly by therubber spacer deare aligned with the flanges 21 and Il of the"` outer shell Il. Proper alignment of the shells Il andV Il and the breaker strips 48 is. therefore.`

provided andA assembly of they cabinet is facilitated.

The refrigerating apparatus which I vhave chosen to disclose is of the well-known com- Y pressor-condenser-expander type. The reflis-v erating machine $3 includes anenclosed motor compressor unit shown generally at` il and a condenser l2, thelatter being cooled by air s1 formed or nest innuaung meet material that v be formed of ply wood or pressed nbre mate-Y translated by a motor driven fan I8. Air for" cooling the condenser is drawn from the ambient the top wall Il. At the front side of the cabinet il the conduits `Il and l. extend downwardly behind the breaker strip Il through slots or openings Il and Il formed, respectively. in the top-wall 2l and the top side of the inner shell Il. 'l'.he conduits Il and Il extend the food chamber Il to the evaporator I4.' The insulation I2 above the Vinner shell Il is cut away or notched at Il to accommodate the portion of the conduits Il and Il behind the breaker v strip 43. A plastic sealing compound may be employed for nlling the notch Il and the slots Il and Il for preventing leakage of air into the food chamber I3 andthe leakage of moisture into the insulation betweenthe shells Il and ii. An ornamental cover l! is provided for covering the groove 2l and the conduits therein. l'he cabinet construction described heretofore `affords insertion of the refrigerating machine Il. the evaporator Il and their connecting concultus and u into the cabinet as s unit.` In

inserting the refrigerating apparatus. the refrigerating machine I3 is first inserted through the opening Il into the chamber 32, it being understoodv that the du'ctJl is removed at this time. The evaporator is maintained in an elevated position and the conduits Il and Il, which are iiexible. are positioned along the back wall 3l and bent to lie in the groove 2l. Theevaporatorilis then lowered and inserted into the foodoompartment I3,the conduits being forced into position within the grooves I8 and "and the notch 0I in the insulation I 2. The evaporator is;then secured in pition within the food compartment i3. preferably to the top-wall thereof. The plastic, sealing compouund isapplied around the portion of the conduits within the notch Il` for. closing the same. After the con- `duitsIlandIlandtheevaporatorareinposi` backofthe cabinet.

'Ihe insulated doorstructure includes an outer pan Ii, preferably formed of sheet metal. and having an inturned iiange Il. An inner panel is preferably treated or coated torender it substantially non-hygroscoplc -is secured to the ample, self-tapping screws Il. The panel il may :,rial. Heat insulating material 'Il is disposed bef tween the panel ll and the outer pan Il. Aresilatmosphere through the opening Il 75 ientsasket lliss'ecuredtothe doorperipherauy the'condenser l2 by a conduit Il and vaporous flanges lII by, fastening `devices such as. for exl A thereof and engages the cabinet Il around its access opening when the door is closed.

'I'he gasket I9, as shown best in Fig. 5, is oi `8 formation in transverse section and has a portion 1i thereof lapped or folded around the flange which portion is pierced by the screws 88 when-in position. The portion 12 of the gasket 88 may be held upwardly so that the screws 8l may be inserted or removed. When released, the gasket portion 'I2 returns to the position shown in the drawings.

The door is hinged as shown at i1 to the cabinet, the hinges being secured to the outer shell structure i and the outer pan Si of the door. As the latching'mechanism for the door forms no part of the present invention, it has not been shown. e

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved refrigerator cabinet which may be economically manufactured. 'I'he outer shell structure is formed of elements which may be rolled or bent and .without the use of expensive dies so that the cost of manufacture is substantially reduced. Furthermore, my invention facilitates the assembly of the inner and outer shell members and provides for readily adjusting one with respect to the other, whereby the breaker strip may be easily attached in its proper position.

My improved cabinet structure is ideally suited for the reception of refrigerating apparatus having spaced evaporating and condensing elements which are unitarily assembled to the cabinet. In this connection it will be apparent that no opening need be provided in the food storage compartmentl walls through which the evaporator is inserted and which must be closed thereafter. Accordingly, better heat insulating qualities are obtainable with my improved construction than are obtainable with constructions having an opening for the evaporator and closed by a closure member.

As the insulated door structure may be so formed that no part of it extends into the food chamber, substantially all of the space in the latter is available for storage. Furthermore, passage of air to or from the food compartment is reduced when the door is opened and closed as no part of the door displaces air in the food chamber when it is closed.

While I have disclosed a refrigerating machine of the compression type applied to my cabinet structure, it will be understood that it is shown by way of example and that the cabinet structure is equally well suited for receiving other forms of refrigerating machines.

While I Vhave shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet structure for housing a refrigerant evaporator and the conduits for conveying refrigerant thereto, the combination of spaced inner and outer shells for defining a food compartment and an access opening therefor, said outer shell having side walls, the upper portions of which are bent inwardly and their meeting edges Joined for defining a top wall having a groove formed therein, said evaporator being disposed within the food compartment, and said conduit for conveying refrigerant to the evaporator being disposed in part within said groove.

2. In a cabinet structure for housing a refrigerating machine, an evaporator andconduits connecting the same. the combination'of spaced inner and outer shells having heat insulation therebetween and defining an insulated food compartment and an access opening therefor, a breaker strip disposed in a substantially vertical plane normal to the depth of the cabinet and connecting said inner and outer shells, said outer shell including a top w'all having a groove formed .therein and including side wall portions, the latter extending below the food compartment and defining a machinery chamber, said evaporator and refrigerating machine being disposed, respectively, in the food compartment and the machinery chamber, said conduits connecting the refrigerating machine and the evaporator having portions thereof disposed within said groove and behind the breaker strip, and a narrow ornamental cover ior the portion of the conduits disposed within the groove.

3. In al refrigerator cabinet including vertically-extending front and side walls, the combination of inner and outer shells, said inner shell deilning a food storage chamber, a substantially rectangular access opening for the food storage chamber in the front of the inner shell, said inner shell having a ange formed on the'top, bottom and sides of the access opening, said outer shell having a concentric rectangular opening provided therein and having a flange formed on the top, bottom and sides thereof spaced from the flange on the inner shell to provide a heat break between said shells peripherally of the access opening, said flange on the outer shell being disposed in a piane parallel to the access opening and being rigid in a direction at right angles to the front wall of the cabinet, a breaker strip of heat insulating material also extending parallel to the front wall of the cabinet, said breaker strip covering the space between the flanges" on the inner and outer shells, a door for closing the access opening, and a gasket extending around the top, bottom and sides of said access opening and contacting said door and the front of said cabinet near the side walls thereof for sealing the food storage chamber when the door is closed, said ilangeon the outer shell extendingl toward the inner shell a sufficient distance to be in substantial alignment with the gasket Y in a direction at right angles to the flange' on the outer shell when the door is closed, whereby the flange on the outer shell is eiiective to oppose impacts resulting from door closings.

4. In a refrigerator cabinet including vertically-extending front and side walls, the combination of inner and outer shells, said inner shell defining a food storage chamber, a substantially rectangular access opening for the food storage chamber in the front of the inner shell, said inner shell having a ange formed on the top, bottom and sides of the access opening and extending toward said outer shell, said outer shell having a concentric rectangular opening provided therein and having a flange formed on the top, bottom and sides thereof and extending toward and spaced from the flange on the inner shell, to provide a heat break between said shells peripherally of the access opening, said flanges being disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the access opening, the flange on the outer shell being unam a direction as right angles' to the front wall of the cabinet. a breaker strip of heat insulating material extending `between said ilanges and having the maior exposed p0rtion thereof extending substantially parallel to the iront wall of the'cabinet, said breaker strip covering the space between saidiiang, a door for closing the access opening and a gasket extending around the top, bottom and sides o! the access opening and contacting said door and the 1o -iront wall of the cabinet near the side walls thereof for sealing vthefood storage chamber when the door is closed, said iiange onthe outer shell extending toward the inner shell at the top.

bottoniv and sides thereof a sumcient distance to be in substantial alignment with the gasket in the direction at right angles to the ange on the outervshell when the door is c1csed.rwhereby the iiange on the outer ahelllis elective to o impacts resulting from door closings.

GRRIG I'. FORSTHOm 

